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Charge or replace?

3K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  Supperconductor 
#1 · (Edited)
Stupid battery.

How do you tell if the battery is not holding a charge or if the alternator is not working? I'm 90% sure it's the battery but I don't want to replace it if I don't need to?

I guess the more accurate question is, How do I tell *without* a voltmeter?

A big thanks to Maci for helping me bump start my bike... time to go to the gym and work on endurance running! ;-)

[edit: Excuse my mechanical ignorance but isn't the alternator called the stator in our bikes? What's the difference between the two?]
 
#2 ·
You need a voltmeter and a service manual to properly troubleshoot the eletrical system. How long have you had the battery in there? Do you use a battery tender or the like on a regular basis?

Went through the same thing on my VFR. Bought a battery because I didn't want to troubleshoot the problem, wanted the quick fix. I figured that the R/R couldn't take a crap at 7k miles, boy was I wrong
 
#3 · (Edited)
I'm going to need more than a flame suit on this one...
a. I haven't been able to take 'er out for a ride yet this spring because of work and many other things in my life.
b. I didn't do my usual winter maintenance on the bike last year... *gulp* just tossed her in the garage. By the time I realized I wasn't going to ride her again, the battery was already dead so I said screw-it and left it in. Yes, I do have a battery tender/charger but no, I was a retard and neglected to use it.
c. I was able to jumpstart it both tonight and the one other short ride I had this year... neither time did the battery hold a charge. I mean, if I turn the bike off, it won't start again even if I try immediately after I switch it off.

The battery has been in the bike since I bought it, late 2001.

Ok, I hear what you're saying. I wanted a quick fix because my riding time is very limited this year :( and didn't want to hunt down a voltmeter before I can go riding again. I'll pick one up tomorrow.
 
#4 ·
:idunno: I don't know what most people on here do but to keep my battery charged I just ride it year round. :twofing: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Seriously if it sat dead for that long then you probably just need a new battery. You might try charging it for a couple days and see if it takes but plan on buying a new one.
 
#6 ·
OntheEdge said:
:idunno: I don't know what most people on here do but to keep my battery charged I just ride it year round. :twofing: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Seriously if it sat dead for that long then you probably just need a new battery. You might try charging it for a couple days and see if it takes but plan on buying a new one.
hahahaha. punk. Not funny.

Booth, OntheEdge, thanks for confirming my thoughts. Bah.
 
#10 ·
once you lose a battery and have to recharge it it is never the same on a bike. I had this happen to me twice on the 929 and the only thing that fixed it was the replacement of the battery.
 
#14 ·
bubba said:
once you lose a battery and have to recharge it it is never the same on a bike. I had this happen to me twice on the 929 and the only thing that fixed it was the replacement of the battery.
Ditto. Happened to me twice. Just get a quality, non-servicing battery though.That was my only mistake on the 2nd battery was I bought a cheap-o :nono:
 
#17 ·
My experience has been slightly different. In the past I've just replaced the battery, but recently, I took a "dead" battery to Autozone where they charged it back up for free.

It was sitting idle for about 2 months and the Battery Tender Plus couldn't ressurect it. After doing a little research I learned that the Battery Tender Plus will not charge a battery if it goes really dead (0 Volts) because it can't push that much current. I decided to buy a Schumacher charger from Autozone ($46) which I have used to recharge another battery that I thought was a lost cause.

Both recharged batteries seem to be working fine so far after a month of use.
 
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